The Works of Francis Bacon: Miscellaneous writings in philosophy, morality ...

own greatness, the more I shall think of it; and the more, the less. -281. Sir Francis Bacon coming into the Earl of

Arundel's garden, where there were a great number of ancient statues of naked men and women, made a stand, and as astonished, cried out, the resurrection

282. Sir Francis Bacon (who was always for moderate counsels), whén one was speaking of such a reformation of the church of England, as would in effect make it no church ; said thus to him, Sir, the subject we talk of is the eye of England, and if there be a speck or two in the eye, we endeavour to take them off; but he were a strange oculist who would pull out the eye.

283. The same Sir Francis Bacon was wont to say, that those who left useful studies for useless scholastic speculations, were like the Olympic gamesters, who abstain’d from necessary labours, that they might be fit for such as were not so.

284. He likewise often used this comparison: the empirical philosophers are like to pismires; they only lay up and use their store. The rationalists are like to spiders ; they spin all out of their own bowels. But give me a philosopher, who like the bee hath a middle faculty, gathering from abroad, but digesting that which is gathered by his own virtue.

285. The lord St. Alban, who was not overhasty to raise theories, but proceeded slowly by experiments, was wont to say to some philosophers, who would not go his pace, Gentlemen, nature is a labyrinth, in which the very haste you move with, will make you lose your way. 286. The same lord, when he spoke of the JDutchmen, used to say that we could not abandon them for our safety, nor keep them for our profit. And sometimes he would express the same sense in this manner; we hold the Belgic lion by the ears. 287. The same lord, when a gentleman seem'd not much to approve of his liberality to his retinue, said to him ; Sir, I am all of a piece; if the head be lifted up, the inferior parts of the body must too. - 288. The lord Bacon was wont to commend the advice of the plain old man at Buxton that sold besoms; a proud lazy young fellow came to him for a besom upon trust: to whom the old man said; Friend, hast thou no money borrow of thy back, and borrow of thy belly, they’ll ne'er ask thee again, I shall be dunning thee every day. 289. Jack Weeks said of a great man (just then dead) who pretended to some religion, but was none of the best livers; Well, I hope he is in heaven. Every man thinks as he wishes; but if he be in heaven, 'twere pity it were known.

290. His lordship, when he had finished this collection of apophthegms, concluded thus: Come now all is well: they say, he is not a wise man that will lose his friend for his wit; but he is less a wise man, that will lose his friend for another man's wit.